Zona and I shared equal nerdiness (engrish is a grate langwidget, you can make stuff up and it still make sense). Way back when it was't very common, we both started blogs. I had started using a script on my site that was meant as a news script for posting reports on the website. Slowly progressing to better scripts like Graymatter and on to the earliest version of Movabletype and greater. As the years went on and the concept of online journalling took off it really did change the way we both wrote on our blogs. From the early beginnings where you could be very personal and not worry about writing your thoughts on the net (noone really bothered reading blogsites then), to the current day where people take blogging seriously and follow some writers religously. I see the fascination the world has taken on seeing things for what they really are. TV shows have been the most obvious towards this trend as we see reality shows spawning in larger numbers by the day. People want to be able to connect and find meaning to what happens and can happen in our lives. To know someone else is going through similar experiences brings us comfort. Not knowing the future scares us. To read an entry that you can emtionally connect to brings you closer to the writer and calms you knowing that you're not alone in your travels or experience.

Without being biased, Zona is an amazing writer. Her england teacher be proud should-or-not lah? Long or short, her entries could speak a lifetime of experience and also of someone encountering the pains of life. Readers felt the compassion and shared their thoughts by leaving comments. It was amazing to sit back and view another persons heartache and pain, and also happiness in life on an almost daily basis. We could both read about each others lives without meeting and yet be continents away. It was like having a pen pal.

Critics are like a***holes. Everyone has one and some like to show it by means of commenting. My friends, her friends and complete strangers have criticised entries she has written. Alot of those criticisms were from people who misunderstood what the entry was about or would prefer to highlight themselves to display their prowess in trying to win arguments. Criticising is easy but when you point the finger at someone, remember there are another three pointing back at you. It seemed at times people piped up when they found it necessary to make Zona take dictation for them. This site is hers, not theirs. If you don't agree with what she writes then move on. I can't believe it is something so easy to do but some people keep coming back for more. Did these people flick doberman's ears for fun as a kid? Surely their energy is better suited to fighting their cause with their own governments or whatever their issue is. The flipside is that criticism brings debate and can be a positive to make us grow. I know Zona has taken her critics seriously and has been affected very emotionally by some of what was said. What you don't know is that she took those comments to heart and felt very hurt. But she always questioned and corresponded with those people to find the truth or understand more. This is something I love about her. She would go out of her way to understand other peoples views. She actually cares what you all think whether she knows you personally or not. It truly is something I admire.

The entries here were made to share with you about her experiences in work and her personal life. But as I've mentioned here already as the time has flown by over the years it has come to a point where even those of our grandparents age are reading or are able to read the site. There are somethings you want to share and some you don't with family. Blogging was great in the early years as viewers had little emotional connection to you. Now knowing that exposure has grown the site, it has become harder to find what to write about. It's also about a point in life you reach where things take change and turn you around.

So when Zona sent the messages to me this morning in the wee hours I knew exactly what she was talking about. I didn't think I could say anything to change her mind. I love her for who she is and for her caring and sharing attitude. But I knew there was only so much left she wanted to publicly share. It's been a long road for her online with this site and she has covered and given us so much. Without this site, we would never have found each other. With this site I have come to known her on a personal level long before we met in person. This site has given so much and also taken so much. To her, it felt time and as in nature all flowers shed to regenerate. The lily was wilting.

But also like nature there will be the new blossom to long and wait for and admire. It takes nurturing to see the fruits of labour and appreciate nature at its best. There are topics that I know you will want to know of and about that are yet to come. There is still alot Zona has to share. But it won't be in the same manner seen here over the years. There are some things that we will keep private for our own sake. We both are part of the entertainment industry and will continue to be for many years yet. And as I'm sure you are all aware, if you are in the spotlight the last thing you need is someone trying to dig up dirt on your life. I'm not saying gossip magazines are interested in us, it's more about what words are spread throughout the industry about our lives that we want some control over. I would prefer that our future employers knew us for our work rather than our online lives. And it has already come down to seeing the affect of blogging and how many people we interact with in work or personally.

Is it really the end? I wouldn't like to think so. But I feel that what Zona writes from now on will be very different from her previous entries. Will this make her change the name from Midnitelily to MidmorningLily? no (I already asked her). The name and photo will be the same, her domain name will be the same. But you may not recognise her through the changes that will happen. Her readers will change, she won't be writing to the same audience.

"Why you write only on site now lah?" I here you say. Well it's cause I can write short epic entries not unlike this one and Zona wants the posts to be short and sweet and to the point. I just had a few points to share lah. And besides, I gotta wedding blog to maintain now so you'll have to go check that out wan. Besides, I realised that my england still bad lah, going back to study to bring talent up to speed. Hey Z, did I mention I was one of ten chosen for that AFTRS course?

See you all in due course.